Hong Kong based company, named USB Killer (yes, that’s their official name), developed a USB stick capable of destroying any computer by delivering a power surge through the USB port; the device is called USB Kill 2.0. A Russian hacker going by the name of Dark Purple constructed a similar device last year; it was also capable of destroying any computer it plugged into and was named USB Killer.
USB Kill 2.0 is, according to the company, developed with a purpose of giving companies a way to test whether their devices are vulnerable to USB power surge attacks. USB Killer stated that it “strongly condemns [sic] malicious use of its products.” Also, the company claims that 95 percent of devices available today are vulnerable to power surges coming from the USB port.
You can get USB Kill 2.0 for $49.95, and for additional $13.95 you can get a protection shield, allowing users to test their computers without frying them. Remove the protection and the device become lethal for any computer it gets plugged into.
An interesting fact is that USB Kill 2.0 launched less than a month ago (August 16), and the store selling it is already out of stock. It seems many companies want to test their computers for power surge vulnerability, or maybe (just maybe) the device already sold out because of other reasons. Oh, and if you’re planning on frying your recent MacBook model, don’t bother. Recent MacBooks are the only devices capable of defying power surges since they optically isolate data lines on the USB ports.